Field of the Invention
This invention relates to agents and therapy to lessen morbidity and mortality by protecting against septic shock, Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), and other inflammatory complications of shock. Particularly, this invention relates to the treatment of septic shock and the other complications resulting from septic shock by down-regulating the expression of certain cell-cell adhesion receptors or ligands involved in the inflammatory response during septic shock. More specifically, this invention relates to therapy with antisense oligonucleotides which reduce expression of adhesive proteins and protect against septic shock and reduce associated inflammatory damage (like ARDS). Particularly this invention relates to the use of antisense oligonucleotides complementary to human mRNAs or pre-mRNAs coding for ICAM-I (Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-I) to be used in a therapeutic treatment of sepsis (henceforth to include sepsis, septic shock and all other manifestations of the sepsis disease, including but not inclusive of, adult respiratory distress syndrome, multi-organ failure, or cardiovascular dysfunction). Mediators of sepsis produce endothelial dysfunctions that result in the development of an intravascular inflammatory response and subsequent damage to the endothelial cells with migration of leukocytes into the surrounding tissues. This invention also relates to the treatment of sepsis with antisense oligonucleotides targeted to cellular based receptors or their ligands where these receptors or ligands are involved in the inflammatory response during the development of sepsis. This invention further relates to the inhibition of the synthesis of ICAM-I with antisense oligonucleotides.